Book Two of Alliance: The Damsel in Distress
by Avalon Estel
Summary: Zelda's been kidnapped, and it's up to Lute to rescue her, along with help from his newlywed wife, Cassandra, some old friends, and a couple new ones. Book Two in the Alliance Trilogy. [COMPLETE]
1. The Kidnapping

The Damsel In Distress: Book Two of the Alliance Trilogy

Disclaimer: Why must I write this worthless waste of words? Don't you all know that I don't own Zelda? Why must they constantly remind me? _WHY???_

Chapter One: The Kidnapping...Or Not

Zelda couldn't sleep.

She sighed and turned over in bed, staring out the window. As usual, it was a beautifully peaceful night in Hyrule, with winking stars and a milky-white moon. It cast drapes of silver through her windows that would have lulled any other beautiful, perfect, stereotypical princess to sleep.

But not Zelda.

Finally, she got up and put on her silk robe, tying the tasseled rope around her waist. She picked up the candleholder on her nightstand and lit the wick, then quietly slipped into the corridor.

It was silent but for the ticking of the clock. Every door was closed, and the darkness seemed to be holding its breath, knowing something she didn't. But of course, being the idiot she always was, Zelda didn't notice the night's sinister quality, and happily tiptoed down the stairs to the kitchen.

As she was pushing open the door, she heard voices inside. For the first time in her life she did something intelligent, and waited outside of it, listening to the whispered conversation.

"We could just sneak out this door," one voice said.

"But what if there isn't a gate out of the courtyard?" asked the other. Zelda could tell they were both male. "It was hard enough to stay here after visiting hours. We can't get caught _now_."

"We'll have to trust fate," the other one said firmly.

Unfortunately for them, and all of Hyrule, fate wasn't on their side. One factor stood in their way, and that was:

Zelda.

"Whatever you're doing, if it's gonna get you in trouble, you'd better stop, because I'm coming in!" Zelda sang out.

"Who was that?" one of the voices asked.

"How should I know?! I just know we're _dead_!"

Zelda turned the handle.

"Oh, Din, here she comes!"

"We're dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, _dead_!"

Zelda opened the door.

Two young men stood inside, holding a very heavy-looking sack between them.

"Uh, hi?" asked one.

"Are you servants?" Zelda asked.

"Uh...actually..."

"Yes!" the other exclaimed, nodding fervently. "We're servants."

The first young man had long white hair that was tied back in a ponytail, some escaped strands lying on his shoulders and forehead. Zelda studied him a moment. "Are you related to Impa?"

"Impa?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah! He's related to Impa!" the other guy supplied. He had chestnut-brown hair, with long bangs that could rival Lute's. The first guy shot him a death glare. The second man shrugged.

"Well, that's good," Zelda said, feeling relieved. "I'm Princess Zelda," she added, curtsying. "What's in that bag?"

"Bag?" the white-haired one asked. "What bag?"

"That bag," Zelda said, pointing at their sack.

"I don't see any bag," he replied, trying to hide it behind his back.

"This bag!" Zelda said triumphantly after yanking it out from behind him. Whatever was inside made a medley of clinking noises.

"Hush, please!" he begged. "We could get into a lot of trouble!"

"What did you do?" Zelda asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing! We didn't do anything!" the dark-haired man replied.

"So why are you worried?" Zelda asked.

"We're not. I mean, we are, but...please just be quiet!"

Zelda opened the bag and looked inside. "Why," she began, "do you have all our silver?" She reached inside and pulled something out. "And Daddy's scepter?"

"We were going to polish it!" he cried.

"Oh." Zelda looked at the scepter in her hand. "Can I help?"

The white-haired man smothered a laugh. "You want to help?"

"Yes. Why not?" Zelda asked, crossing her arms.

"One sec, okay?" the brown-haired one said. He dragged his companion aside. "I have an idea. She's the princess, right? She wants to come with us, right?"

His friend nodded, unsure of what to think.

"So if we kidnap her, we can ransom her, right? And then we'll be _rich_!"

The white-haired one looked at Zelda, who stood huffily holding the bag. "I don't know, Falen..."

"C'mon, it's perfect!" Falen urged.

"Well, if she'll be quiet, I guess."

"Great!" Falen turned to Zelda. "Of course, you can help us, princess. Right this way." He took the bag from her and they started out the kitchen door and into the dining hall.

"One second," the pale-haired one said. He grabbed a napkin off the table as they left.

"What's that for?" Falen asked.

"Ransom note."

"Ah."

As they found themselves in the Great Hall, the white-haired man took one of Daphnes' quills from the table beside his throne, which he used to sign proclamations. You see, there were many proclamations to sign. Hastily, he scribbled a note on the napkin and handed it to Falen. "Well?"

" 'We have kidnapped the Princess Zelda. If you wish to have her back, come to the Desert Colossus tomorrow night and we will discuss release agreements. If you comply with this request, the Princess will not be harmed. Signed, a friend.'" Falen read. "A friend?" he asked incredulously. "What kind of a friend kidnaps a guy's daughter, Quinn?"

"Whatever, just leave it, okay?" Quinn insisted.

"What's the holdup?" Zelda asked, looking impatient.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Falen said.

"Well, it was your idea. Live with it," Quinn said grumpily.

* * *

Link woke early that morning, yawning and stretching. He needed to find Zelda. He'd learned a really interesting move in his fencing practice, and wanted to show it to her. After unsuccessfully trying her room, the gardens, and the library (why she'd be in the library, he didn't know), he went down to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. Unfortunately, he couldn't find a single butter knife to use to spread jam onto his toast. Sighing, he left the toast on the counter and headed for the throne room. To his surprise, he saw a written-upon napkin. Picking it up, he realized it was a note.

Excited, he read it, hoping for an adventure of some sort. When he was done, he almost keeled over in astonishment. Link read the note again, shocked that this could happen. When he'd regained his wits, he hurried to tell Daphnes.

"Zelda's been kidnapped!" he cried, trying to sound important.

"Sure she has," Daphnes replied, not looking up from his paperwork.

"No, really! Look at this note!" Link handed the King the ransom note. Daphnes read it, then he furiously grabbed Link by the collar.

"Why didn't you stop them?" he demanded.

"I found the note in the Great Hall!" Link threw back in self-defense. "How was I supposed to know?!"

"Well, what should we do?" Daphnes asked, letting go of him.

"I don't know," Link shrugged.

"You're the Hero of Time! You _should_ know!"

"Okay, okay, I got it!" Link said after a moment's thought.

"What?" Daphnes said, sounding eager.

Link stuck out his chest impressively. "Call Lute."

"Lute?" Daphnes asked. "Why _him_?"

"Because I have absolutely no idea what to do," Link replied nonchalantly.

"Sounds good to me," Daphnes said. "Impa!"

Fifteen minutes later, a messenger was headed to Xenos on Aranel's back.

* * *

A/N: And they're off! Let's see what happens, shall we? Remember, no cursing in your reviews, please! Even mild cursing, or words that aren't considered "all that bad", 'kay? I'd really appreciate it! 


	2. Many Happy Returns

Chapter Two: Many Happy Returns

A/N: For all the Lute fans, he's back! (does a happy dance) Yay, the gang' s all back! Thank yous for Miss Piratess, Malon Aniku, and zeldaisthebest, as well as our newcomer Farlmot! As always, no cursing in your reviews, please. And Anni, you said you DREW Lute and Cassandra? I'd love to see it! I saw some of your work at Zelda Legends, and it's really cute! Please send me the picture via my homepage!

* * *

Prince Lute and the newly-made Princess Cassandra sat in the courtyard of the Royal Family of Xenos' castle, snuggled close, poring over a book of ancient lore.

"Um, Your Majesties?"

Cassandra looked up at the butler, who held an important-looking envelope on a silver tray. "Yes?" she asked, slightly exhausted from the lengthy reading spell.

"This came with a messenger from Hyrule. The man says it's urgent, Your Highness, and that he must see His Majesty, Prince Lute."

"Bet it's Daphnes," Lute said, standing up and brushing off his tunic.

"It probably is," Cassandra sighed. She reached out and took the letter from the tray. "Thank you, Bentley."

The butler bowed. "Always glad to serve."

"No," Cassandra protested, slitting the envelope open with a finger. "Always glad to help. You don't serve. Not with me around, anyway."

"Yes, Your Grace," Bentley said. He quietly went away.

Lute laughed. "It's still going to take some time for you to get used to living like royalty, honey." He grinned at his wife.

"I will _never_ get used to people trying to 'serve' me," the sorceress replied, pulling the letter out.

"What's it say?" Lute asked, leaning over her chair and resting his chin in her crimson hair. Cassandra unfolded the letter and began scanning it. "Kidnapped?" she cried.

"Who's been kidnapped?" the prince said, looking at the letter.

"Zelda! And they want us – I mean, you – to go help find her," Cassandra said, reading the rest of Impa's spidery script carefully. "I'm coming with you, of course," she added, replacing the letter in its cream-colored envelope.

Lute straightened and ran a hand through his raven-black hair, a childhood habit he'd never grown out of. "Well, I guess we have no choice. We'd better go talk to the messenger."

* * *

"So Zelda just disappeared, and you get a note from the kidnappers signed 'a friend'?" Lute asked, recounting what the messenger had told them. He and the Hylian guard sat at the table in the courtyard, and Cassandra stood behind Lute, listening.

"That's all I know," the Hylian guard replied, sniffing. Cassandra winced. He had a bad habit of sniffing, and doing so quite loudly. It was really starting to annoy her.

"What kind of kidnapper takes a guy's daughter and signs his note 'a friend'?" Lute asked Cassandra. She shrugged. "I mean, what kind of idiot is he?" the prince continued.

The guard sniffed.

"You know, maybe we should just get going," Cassandra suggested, her hand tight on Lute's shoulder. Lute looked up at her. She gestured at the guard and raised her eyebrows as he sniffed again. "He's seriously getting on my nerves," she added in an undertone.

Lute almost laughed, but held his composure well enough to turn back to the actual urgency of the situation at hand. "When shall we leave?" he asked the guard.

"Whenever you're ready," the guard sniffed.

"We will be as soon as I change," Cassandra said. "I can hardly go in this dress." She hurried out of the courtyard, leaving Lute with the guard. Everything was silent for a few uncomfortable moments, and then Lute tried to make conversation.

"So, where are you from?" Lute asked.

"Hyrule," the guard said, stating the obvious.

Lute laughed nervously. He was never good at dealing with strangers. The Hylians had simply put him under a lot of pressure. "Of course, of course. Um...so, how long have you been on the Hylian guard?"

"Twelve years."

"Oh. Do you have a family?"

"Yup. Wife and two kids."

"That's nice."

"Yup."

Lute fell silent. He didn't know what else to say.

Thankfully, Cassandra was back moments later, dressed in one of Lute's tunics and a pair of riding breeches. "I'm ready!" she announced. "And I brought some provisions. Bella was reluctant to part with them, but I charmed her into it." Bella was their cook, and always insisted that one only eat at mealtimes, because it was better for one's constitution.

"Wonderful," Lute said. "You're coming, right?" he added to the guard.

"Most definitely!" The guard sniffed indignantly.

"Sorry, nothing meant by it," Lute said, laughing uneasily again. "Uh...shall we go?"

* * *

"Well, if it isn't the prince!" boomed the large black dragon as they approached.

"Aranel!" Lute and Cassandra called, throwing their arms around the enormous reptile. Well, trying to, anyway.

Aranel chuckled merrily. "A year is much to long, Your Majesties," he said, giving a mocking bow.

"Oh, quit!" Cassandra giggled.

"Um, Your Highnesses?" the guard sniffed. "Sorry to interrupt your lovely little reunion, but we need to get going."

"Oh, yes, of course!" Lute said, still smiling broadly. He put his hand out to Cassandra playfully. "Shall we?"

Cassandra giggled again. "Of course, Your Majesty!" Together they scurried up Aranel's back and seated themselves at his horns, as they had so long ago before.

The guard rolled his eyes and joined them, wrapping his arms around Aranel's golden horn as if it were his last hold on life.

"Are you all right?" Lute asked, genuinely concerned.

"Oh, fine, fine, Your Majesty. Just a little..." he trailed off.

"A little scared of heights?" the prince prodded.

The guard nodded.

Lute exchanged an amused glance with his wife, who stifled another giggle. They both knew they really should be more attentive to the real problem, but they were having so much fun. And well, they both knew that Zelda could fend for herself. She was probably bothering the kidnappers more than they were bothering her!

* * *

A/N: BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! The gang's all here! No more OC's, but it gets interesting from here! And I guess that answers your question, Anni! And in the wise words of Miss Piratess: Lute's back! 


	3. The Power of Women

Chapter Three: The Power of Women

A/N: Chapter three! We'll be reverting back to Zelda, now. I had the most fun writing the arguments in "Ducks and Dragons", but I'm having the most fun writing Zel in this one! Thanks go out to Miss Piratess (yes, Zelda _is_ annoying), Malon Aniku (the link doesn't work! Maybe you can send it to me? I saw your new drawings on the Legends of Zelda website, and I like the one of Tailo! No, the guard will not be a crucial character, but he will make later appearances), and zeldaisthebest (you think I write good dialogue?! Thanks again! And Link's in this chapter!) I'm in the process of writing a one-shot in which Zelda, Impa, Link, and Navi experience baking. It will hopefully be uploaded this weekend. BTW, Falen is pronounced Fah-lin. Just so you know…

* * *

Quinn and Falen had taken Zelda through the Haunted Wasteland to the Desert Colossus. Inside, they had made a large pile of jewels and valuables that they had stolen from many citizens of Hyrule. Zelda wandered over to it and began looking at the thieves' loot.

"Boy, I never knew there were so many things like this in the castle," Zelda said, looking at the Zora's Sapphire. "I think I've seen that somewhere before…"

"Well, if it was in the castle, you probably have," Quinn said, untying the strip of black satin that held his hair back. He shook his head, letting the hair fall loose, because the ribbon had been tied much too tightly (courtesy of Falen), and he was getting a headache. He and Falen had actually snatched the sapphire right out of the Temple of Time, having dressed like Hylian priests to sneak in. Falen had made sure that the high minister hadn't been looking, then had grabbed the jewel and stuffed it under his numerous robes. It was then brought to their hideout in the former Spirit Temple, and now Zelda was holding it precariously. Sighing in frustration, Quinn stretched out on his back and slid his arms under his head.

After a bit, Zelda put the sapphire back in its place and flopped onto the sandy ground, legs crossed. "So, when are we going to polish the stuff?" she asked.

"Soon, Princess," came Falen's voice from right outside. He was checking the horizon for any royal messengers.

"You know," Quinn began, pulling his hair back, "I don't think you're qualified for polishing silverware, Princess." He couldn't believe that Falen had come up with such a stupid excuse.

"One second, I'm not listening," Zelda said, pulling off her shoe. "Die, evil spider!" she screeched, bringing the heel down hard and causing a poor arachnid to expire with a faint crunching noise. She wiped the shoe on the sand and replaced it on her foot. "You were saying?" she asked sweetly.

Quinn swallowed hard, deciding to change his words, for he had had a sudden image of the princess whacking _him_ over the head with her shoe. And that would hurt. "Uh…I said that I think you're perfectly qualified to polish silver."

"Why, thank you," Zelda smiled. "But I was wondering, why did we have to come all the way out here to do it?"

"Something about the sand makes them shinier," Falen said, walking in. Quinn shook his head. _Why _did his friend have to come up with such idiotic ideas all the time? He resolved to do the talking from now on.

"You mean you use sand on the silverware?" Zelda said. She looked confused.

"No, it's from being around the sand…" Falen answered casually.

"Will you _please_ stop talking?" Quinn begged, sitting up.

"No, I'm interested," Zelda interrupted. "Go on, please."

"Actually, Princess, it's a very complicated process," Falen said, catching a glare from Quinn.

"Really?"

The men nodded in unison.

"Oh, that's too bad. I don't want hear, then. I don't like complicated things," Zelda said. She looked at Quinn. "So, how are you related to Impa?"

Quinn shot another death look at Falen, who grinned lopsidedly and shrugged. "Actually," the supposed-Sheikah began, "it's a very distant relationship. She probably doesn't even know me."

"How far?" Zelda asked, looking entranced.

"Well, she's my mother's sister's aunt's cousin's wife's daughter's best friend's nephew's third cousin fourteen times removed," Quinn said quickly.

Zelda's fascinated expression had faded. "You lost me."

"Would you like me to explain again?" he asked, grinning at Falen. This imbecile was pretty fun!

"No, it's complicated, too," Zelda said, standing up. "Aw, man!" she cried. "My nightgown's all dirty now!"

* * *

"There they are!" Link cried, pointing at the large shadow in the sky. "They came!" He began to dance happily around the front lawn of Hyrule Castle, much to the guards' amusement. Impa and the King simply shook their heads in embarrassment. _This _was the guy who'd saved their entire kingdom? It was ludicrous.

Aranel landed in the grass, causing the ground to shake beneath their feet.

"Oh, I've never been so glad to see anyone in my entire _life_!" Link cried, running to Lute as he slid off the dragon's back and grabbing him in the tightest hug he'd ever received. The Xenosian could hardly breathe when Link released him. "I was so afraid that you wouldn't come, because then I have no idea _what_ I would do if you hadn't! I have no experience _whatsoever_ with kidnappings!"

"Well, I'm glad you think so highly of me," Lute said bashfully.

"No, it's just we didn't know who else to call," Daphnes said.

"Thank you for the compliment," Lute replied curtly.

"Cassandra! Darling!"

Everyone looked to the drawbridge of Hyrule Castle, across which Aridia, the King's court sorceress, was running. She threw her arms about a startled Cassandra, who hugged her back joyfully.

"You're a princess, now?" Aridia asked, holding her former apprentice out at arm's-length. Cassandra nodded, but before she could say anything, Aridia had pulled her into another hug. "I'm so _proud_!" she cried. Cassandra laughed and returned the embrace.

"Well, are we going to start figuring things out?" Impa asked, stepping forward. Her armor was glinting in the sun, and Lute smiled, remembering how similar she looked when he'd first met her in the castle courtyard, where everything had started. And now here he was, back at the beginning.

"Life's so strange," he muttered.

* * *

A/N: There you go! More next week! I'm sorry the chapters are so short, but think of it this way: the shorter the chapters are, the longer the story lasts, right? I'm not one for writing long chapters, anyway. My novel's longest chapter so far is eleven pages. Pathetic, huh? Hope you like! 


	4. Meetings and Decisions

Chapter Four: Meetings and Decisions

A/N: Oh, Anni, the pic was so good! I really loved it! In fact, I saved it to my computer! And many thanks to Miss Piratess and zeldaisthebest for reviewing again!

* * *

Lute reluctantly followed the King, Impa, Link, and Aridia into the palace. Cassandra walked beside him, rigid due to the fact that the sniffing guard walked right next to her. Daphnes led them into the Great Hall, where a long banquet table had been placed to accommodate everyone. They all took a seat, the King at the head of the table. 

"Now, do we know why we're here?" Daphnes asked.

"Your Highness," Lute said, "this is a kingdom-wide crisis. We all know why we're here."

Daphnes glowered at the prince, but then his face softened. "You're right. I'm just worried. My daughter's been kidnapped."

Lute released a tense breath. "Yes, I know." He didn't like Zelda all that much – okay, he barely liked Zelda at _all_ – but he didn't like for anything bad to happen to his acquaintances. "What do you need me to do?" he asked.

"Actually, we don't _know_ what to do," Daphnes admitted, red in the face as he said it. He didn't like others to have to do what he thought he should be able to.

"Well, first things first," Cassandra said. "What's in the ransom note?"

"The kidnappers say they want someone to come and negotiate at the Desert Colossus tonight."

"Okay, then. Link and I can go to the Desert Colossus with a bag of money, give them as much as they want, and bring Zelda home," Lute said. "It's simple."

Cassandra looked at him in annoyed surprise. "Excuse me? I intend to come with you."

Lute sighed and gave her a sidelong glance. "Who knows what the kidnappers want? If something happened to you, I'd be responsible, and I don't like to think of you getting hurt. I mean, we don't even know who the kidnappers are! What if we get lost in the desert?"

"What if you never come back?" Cassandra countered. "What if I follow you, and when I catch up I knock you about the head a bit? Why do you think you can stop me?"

Lute swallowed hard, but then Impa began laughing. "Good one, Princess!" she chuckled.

Cassandra faked a bow and grinned.

"Enough!" Daphnes cried. "We're here to talk about Zelda!"

The Hylian guard, who'd been silent through all this, sniffed and said, "I think we should go with what the prince said." As he saw Cassandra's annoyed look, he misinterpreted it and added, "And the princess should go with him."

Cassandra crossed her arms and leaned over next to Lute's ear. "If the sniffer thinks I should go, then I should go."

Lute shook his head. For the millionth time since he'd met her, he realized there was no arguing with her. "Fine."

Just then, the cook rushed in. "Not only did they take the princess, but they've stolen the silverware, as well! How can I cook?"

"Cooking is the least of our worries!" Daphnes roared.

"Well, what about this fish-girl?" the cook shouted, pushing a Zora out of the kitchen. Link's mouth dropped, and like a shot, he dove under the table. It was _Ruto_.

"Daphnes, I want to know where the Zora's Sapphire is!" she shouted, grabbing the King by the front of his crimson robes.

"It's in the Temple of Time, Princess," Daphnes said, trying to pry her fingers off.

"Wrong answer, Daphnes!" she shrieked. "I was just there! There was the Goron's Ruby and the Kokiri Emerald, but there was no Sapphire! So I want to know where it is!"

"Calm down, dear. It was probably taken by the same people who stole our silverware and kidnapped Zelda."

"Stole your _silverware_? And kidnapped _Zelda_?" Ruto let go of Daphnes and stared at him in shock. "So…Link's open? I mean, they're not engaged anymore, right?" She looked simply ecstatic. "I have a chance!"

"Uh, no you don't," Impa said. "Link is going to go save Zelda. In fact, he's already headed off after her."

Link sat under the table and thanked Farore for Impa's intelligence. It was a lie, sure, but at least it was only a little one. He hugged her boots. Impa kicked him. Okay, maybe he took that back about her intelligence. He whimpered and scampered to the other end of the table, knocking into Lute's legs. Lute kicked him. Absolutely furious, he flung himself out from under the table and yelled, "Okay, bye guys! I'm off to save Zelda!" He then proceeded to run across the Great Hall like a lunatic.

"Stop!" Daphnes called. Link froze in place, which was unfortunately mid-stride. He promptly fell over with a loud, echoing _thud_.

"Link, you will carry the Master Sword, and will go save Zelda along with Lute, Cassandra, and Aranel," Daphnes said in an impressive voice.

"But I want to go with Linky!" Ruto cried.

Daphnes shrugged. "Okay. You will be called…the Fellowship of the Triforce."

There was utter silence, and then Link said, "You know, Daphnes, I'm not the sharpest tool in the toolbox, but I have to say that that's pretty stupid."

"I agreed with every word he said," the cook said quickly.

"All in agreement with what Link said, say 'aye'," Impa said.

A chorus of _ayes_ echoed through the Great Hall.

"It's settled then," Daphnes said. "You'll all go save Zelda."

"I'm warning you, Daphnes," Link began, pointing a finger at the King. "You'd better not tell the press about this."

"Oh, believe me, I won't," Daphnes said reassuringly.

The motley crew then bid everyone goodbye and left, sweeping off on Aranel's back in the location of the Haunted Wasteland. As soon as they were gone, Daphnes called Aridia to his side. "Call the _Hylian Times_ and tell them that the Fellowship of the Triforce just set off to save the Princess."

Aridia nodded and ran off to find the sniffy guard. Daphnes grinned to himself, sat down on his throne, and began signing a proclamation. That would teach them to call his ideas stupid. Ha!

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took so long! (whimpers and sobs) I'm so sorry! I've already started working on the next chapter to make up for it! I hope you're not angry! The next chappie will be up by Monday, I promise! And if you haven't read "Experimentation", you should, because I'm sure you'll like it! 


	5. Interruptions

Chapter Five: Interruptions

A/N: See? I'm keeping my promise!! And I'm so sorry, Miss Piratess! You can't even watch someone play Zelda anymore? How horrible! BTW, have you guys (other than Anni) played _The Wind Waker_?

* * *

Aranel flew over Hyrule Field, his black wings beating the air. Ruto was terrified. She was clutching onto Link, who repeatedly tried to push her off of him. 

"Wait a minute!" he suddenly cried.

"What's wrong?" Aranel asked.

"I don't remember how to make my way to the Desert Colossus!"

Everyone groaned.

"What are we going to do?" Lute asked, sounding hopeless.

"Well, Nabooru knows," Ruto said off-handedly. "She always bragged about it."

"Where's Nabooru now?" Cassandra asked her.

"I saw her at Lon Lon Ranch when I stopped there to visit earlier," Ruto replied, clutching tighter to Link's arm as he endeavored to kick her off.

Lute rolled his eyes. "Aranel, would you please go back to Lon Lon Ranch?"

Aranel laughed. "Of course!" He wheeled around in the sky and headed back to Malon's ranch. They landed with a thud outside the gate, and all the smaller beings slipped off of his back. Aranel walked over to the wall by the corral area and leaned on it.

"Hey, Malon!" Link called as they entered the corral. "Is Nabooru still here?"

Malon, who had been brushing Epona's mane and talking to the Sage of Spirit, sighed and turned around. "I'd think you could see her," she said sarcastically. Then she saw Lute and Cassandra. "Hey!" she greeted them, hugging Cassandra and clapping Lute on the shoulder. "Congratulations! I heard about your wedding!"

"Thanks," Cassandra laughed.

"I'm happy for you," Malon grinned. Then, she looked at Ruto. "Weren't you here once already?" she asked.

"Yeah, but we're looking for Nabooru because we need to know how to get to the Desert Colossus," the Zora princess replied.

"We're looking for Zelda," Link added. Then, he gave Malon a funny look. "Are you Zelda?" he asked, inspecting her.

"What do you mean?" Malon demanded. "I am most certainly not that idiot!"

"You're sure?" Link asked, staring at her severely.

"Yes!" Malon cried, her face flushed.

There was a long silence as Link looked at her. Then, he asked, "Are you Zelda now?"

"Argh!" Malon yelled.

"That's all right. Take your time."

"Get him away from me before I hurt him," Malon warned in a quiet voice. She looked like she was more likely to _kill_ Link than hurt him, and Lute gladly obliged.

Nabooru greeted them all and Malon introduced her to Lute and Cassandra. After a quick explanation on how to get to the Spirit Temple, the Fellowship of the Triforce hurried back off to Aranel and climbed on.

"Thank you!" Cassandra called down to them. The two redheads waved and bid them goodbye, and Aranel flew off in the direction of the Gerudo Valley.

Quinn gave a sigh of relief as he looked outside. It was nearly nighttime, and then the King's messengers would be there. He couldn't wait to get the princess off their hands. It was probably the worst idea that Falen had ever had.

"I'm tired," Zelda complained. "I want to go home. I'm bored!"

"Please, Princess!" Falen wailed. Quinn grinned. Maybe he was finally realizing what a mistake he'd made. "Please stop complaining!"

Just then, a dark shape landed on the moonlit sands. Quinn looked inside. "Falen, take the Princess into that lovely room over there."

"Why?" Falen asked.

Quinn was his usual laid-back self again. "They're here."

A/N: Now I'm caught up! Until next week, arrivaderci!


	6. Another Setback

Chapter Six: Another Setback

A/N: Thank-you to Miss Piratess, zeldaisthebest, and Anonymous. I must say, Anonymous, you have impeccable spelling, which is a relief. I usually see anonymous reviewers fill their reviews with spelling errors, so it was very nice to read yours. I'm glad you decided not to be a lurker anymore! Thank you for the review, and I'm very glad you like my work. The reason I asked about The Wind Waker is because I'm considering using a large amount of background material for the next (but not final) "Alliance" story. And yes, I think I may write some more about Lute and Co. in the future, because they're just so much fun to write!

P.S. – Anni, the book that contains the Wendigo story is "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark". Unfortunately, I was unable to find it on my trip to the library. May you have better luck!

* * *

Link was the first off of Aranel's back. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he whipped out the Master Sword (somehow or other Daphnes had rigged up a replacement for the Pedestal of Time) and started toward the entrance of the Desert Colossus. Barely in time, Lute made a grab at him and pulled the Hero of Time to the sand.

"Get off me!" Link cried, trying to wriggle out of the prince's grip. "I have to save Zelda!"

"If you get ambushed, she'll never be saved!" Lute protested.

"Ambushed?" Link asked. He stopped struggling instantly.

"Yes, ambushed," Lute said, standing up and brushing sand from his tunic.

"Then we have to be ready!" Link exclaimed, jumping to his feet and holding the Master Sword out in front him in what he believed was a threatening position. In fact, it looked more like he was about to sweep the sand, but everyone overlooked that.

Lute sighed and drew his sword, and Cassandra came up behind him, her sleeves pushed up out of the way, her fingers clamped tightly around her staff. Ruto was still on Aranel's back, and no one made a move to bring her down. So on Aranel's back she stayed.

"Good luck," Aranel called.

"Thanks," Lute replied, nodding to the dragon. "We may need it."

* * *

"Okay, here they come!" Falen whispered, watching the three shadows move toward the Colossus from the doorway.

Quinn, standing right next to him, rolled his eyes and said, "I know." _Why in the world had he ever become friends with Falen?_

"Do you remember the plan?" Quinn asked.

Falen nodded. "Yep! Messengers come in, we tell them how much money we want, they go get the money, give us the money, we give them Zelda and bolt before they can arrest us," he recited. "I can remember things, Quinn. I'm not dumb."

"I beg to differ," Quinn muttered.

The shadows were coming closer. There were three of them.

"We're outnumbered," Falen whispered. "What if they attack? We're not armed. They are."

"Then we die, Falen."

Falen gulped.

* * *

Link froze. "You know, I don't think they're going to hurt us."

"What do you mean?" Lute asked.

"Well, they don't look like they have any weapons."

"How do _you_ know?" Cassandra challenged.

"They're standing right there."

"Let's get this over with," Lute muttered, striding ahead. Link and Cassandra looked at each other. The blonde shrugged, and they both ran off after him.

"Halt!" Falen cried as the messengers reached the entrance. "Who goes there?"

"Halt?" Quinn asked, staring at him. "What was the point of _that_?"

Falen grinned. "I felt like it."

Quinn, for what felt like the billionth time that day, rolled his eyes.

After watching the strange banter, Lute said, "We are messengers from King Daphnes Hyrule."

Falen looked at him as if he were an idiot. "We know that. I just wanted to say that, that's all."

Lute looked at Link and Cassandra, who stared back at him wordlessly. Cassandra spun her aroundfinger at the side of her head in a gesture that meant, "He's crazy!" Lute nodded.

"Well, are you ready to negotiate?" Quinn asked, itching to get everything over with.

"Yes," Link said. "Will you invite us in?"

Just then, there was a flash of light from beneath the door of the room Zelda was in.

* * *

A/N: MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! A CLIFFHANGER!!! 


	7. What?

Chapter Seven: What?

A/N: This chapter's quite a bit longer than what we're all used to. I wanted to make up for making you wait, and I'm taking a bit of a break after this. I have to finish my book, and I'm almost done. When it's finished, I'll be writing a _lot_ of fanfiction, because I can't start the sequel until I know if I'll have to edit anything out, etc… If it gets published, I'll let you all know what it's called. GAH! Then you'll find out my true identity!! GASP!! Perhaps I won't tell you, after all… Thanks again, guys!

* * *

"What was that?" Quinn demanded.

Falen shrugged.

"Go see!"

"Fine, fine. _Tou-chy_." Falen made his way over to the door, taking his time just to spite Quinn. He pushed the door open and his mouth dropped in shock. "She's _gone_!"

Quinn gave a start. "What do you mean, _she's gone_?"

"Just what I said!" Falen called back. "Come look!"

Quinn, Link, Lute, and Cassandra all rushed over behind Falen and stared into the empty room.

"I don't _believe_ this!" Link shouted.

"What's that?" Cassandra asked, pointing at a small piece of paper on the floor of the room. Lute went in and picked it up, his eyes scanning it.

"This is insane!" he cried. "Ganondorf kidnapped her now!"

"This _is_ insane," Cassandra agreed fervently.

Link, on the other hand, looked perfectly happy. "That's okay. I know where Ganondorf lives. See, the Sages let him out of the Sacred Realm on the condition that he'd undergo therapy."

"Doesn't look like it worked," Lute said sarcastically.

"I don't think so, either," Link nodded. "But I know where he lives! We can get Zelda!"

"And we can go home!" Falen said happily.

"Oh, no you can't," Cassandra said. "You started this mess. You're coming with us!"

Quinn shot Falen a death glare. Falen shrugged and grinned lopsidedly.

* * *

Outside, Ruto was sitting on Aranel's back, looking pouty and upset. "What took so long?" she demanded. "Where's Zelda? Did they do her in? Who are those guys? Why did you leave me here?"

"We've had another setback, Zelda's been captured by Ganondorf, no, they didn't do her in, these are the kidnappers, and I didn't want to listen to you yap," Link said, answering all her questions.

"So what are we doing?" Aranel asked.

"We're going to Ganondorf's," Link said simply.

They all climbed onto Aranel's back, and Link directed the ebony dragon to Ganondorf's house. It was just a little cottage on the edge of Hyrule Field, near Lake Hylia.

Link went up to the door first, the others right behind him. The blonde hero gave them a dazzling, heroic (or so he thought) grin before knocking on the door.

A couple seconds later, the door opened, and a tired-looking man stood before them. He had greenish skin, and his spiky red hair flopped limply around his head. In his hand was a mug of steaming coffee. He narrowed his eyes at Link for a moment, as if trying to place him. Then, he said, "You look familiar. Did I try to kill you before?"

Cassandra gave a small whimper and grabbed Lute's arm. The prince looked equally frightened. Ruto gave a squeak, and Quinn glared at Falen for the trillionth time that day.

"Sort of," Link said. "Don't you remember, Gan? I'm Link. You know, the Hero of Time? I foiled your plans for world domination."

Ganondorf's eyebrows sprang up in recognition. "That's right! I remember you now. Listen, man, I hope you didn't take that personally. I mean, a villian's gotta do what a villian's gotta do."

"No problem," Link grinned.

"So, uh…why are _you_ here?" Ganondorf asked. "And who are your friends?" Just then, there was a shattering sound. The smile disappeared from Ganon's face instantly. "Just a sec," he said. He walked back inside, muttering under his breath, shutting the door slightly behind him. They all stood tense as he began to shout, "Listen, kid! I didn't burn down your house! Stop throwing rocks through my window!" There was a pause. Then – "Oh, yeah? Well I hope your new house gets infested by Skulltala, you little brat! Now get off my property!"

Ganondorf came back to the door to see his visitors looking shocked and surprised. "I'm sorry about that," he apologized. "It's just that they really get on my nerves. Every single day, at least one ghost or person comes around here and destroys something of mine, saying that it's because I killed them or their family members or destroyed their homes, villages, blah, blah, blah. It's incredibly annoying. I mean, just last week some old man came and _blew up_ my _well_! Can you believe that? He blew up my well!" He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "You know, I'm being so rude. Please come in." He stepped back from the door and gestured for them to come inside. They all went in.

Before they closed the door, Aranel boomed, "I'll return later. I have somewhere I need to be."

"That's fine," Lute called. They heard him flap off as Ganondorf shut the door.

"May I have a word with you?" Link asked Ganondorf. The Gerudo nodded obligingly. As they stood at the other end of the room, Link asked, "Are you still a hit man?"

Ganondorf arched his eyebrows in surprise. "That depends. Who do you want me to knock off?"

Link silently pointed at Ruto.

Ganondorf looked at him pityingly. "How much are you willing to pay?"

Link, however, didn't answer this question as he noticed everyone's eyes trained on him. "Let's discuss this later."

"Okay," Ganondorf said.

Just then, there was another knock at the door. Ganondorf sighed and walked over to it, preparing for the worst. He was very taken aback to see that it was actually a couple of Kokiri holding a clipboard. "Can I…help you?" he asked.

"We're taking a survey," the boy said. He was the one holding the clipboard.

"What kind of survey?" Ganondorf asked suspiciously.

"We want to know what you think of how the Kokiri are treated here in Hyrule."

"What about it?"

"Well, do you think they are under-appreciated, unaccounted for, and virtually unloved?" asked the girl.

"Yes," Ganondorf said, deciding to agree with them.

"Would you be interested in helping us with our revolt?" asked the boy.

"Revolt?" Ganondorf cried. "You're planning a revolt?"

"That's right!" the girl chirped. "Would you like to take part?"

"I have no business with anti-governmental affairs!" Ganondorf yelled. "Get off my lawn!" And with that he slammed the door shut.

"You'll pay for this, Greeny!" the boy shouted. "We don't take rejection lightly!"

* * *

"So, why are you here?" Ganondorf asked as they all sat down around his kitchen table.

"We have reason to believe that you kidnapped the Princess Zelda," Cassandra sat formally.

Ganondorf looked surprised. "I did not!"

They all glared at him a moment, and then Link said, "You're telling the truth."

"How do you know?" Lute asked.

"If he did have her, we'd have seen her by now," Ruto said calmly. "I mean, his house only has one room."

"True," Lute said, astonished by how observant she was.

"Yeah! Zora's Domain is like, a gazillion times bigger!" she giggled.

"So much for observant," Lute muttered.

"Who are you guys?" Ganondorf asked suddenly, glancing at Quinn and Falen, who'd said nothing this whole time.

"We kidnapped Zelda first," Falen said.

"And then someone kidnapped her from us," Quinn finished.

"So why do you think _I_ did it?" Ganondorf asked.

"We found this after she disappeared," Quinn said, handing him the note.

Ganondorf studied it a moment. "But I didn't write this," he said.

"You didn't?"

"No! That's not my handwriting!"

"Let me see," Ruto said, snatching the note from him. After a few seconds she said, "Weird as this sounds, this looks like Rauru's handwriting."

"Rauru?" everyone chorused.

"Who's Rauru?" Lute asked.

* * *

A/N: Hee, hee!! Hope you liked! :D My little sister Alu came up with most of the Ganondorf scene. Ha ha! 


	8. More Annoyances

Chapter Eight: More Annoyances

A/N: Oh, I'm so sorry I've neglected this story for so long. I really just haven't been in the right state of mind to update it. But now I am! Sorry, guys. Really, I am.

* * *

Zelda sat on a large metal surface in the middle of a dark room. The only light came from directly overhead, and around the platform she rested on were other metal platforms. The rest was like a large pool, and the water poured off of the giant platform that supported the rest in long waterfalls. 

"So, you made it, I see."

Zelda looked up to see an old man standing on the platform directly in front of her, his white hair pulled up in a topknot at the back of his head, his sleeves empty at the bottom, leading her to the conclusion that he either had no hands or that his sleeves were too long. "Where are we?" she asked.

"Temple of Light," the old man said.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The old man smacked his forehead. "I should have remembered how dumb you were," he muttered. "Don't you recognize me?"

Zelda scrutinized him. After a long while, she said, "Nope. Can't say that I do."

"I'm Rauru!"

"Rauru?" Zelda repeated. "Rauru… It sounds familiar."

"It should!" Rauru cried indignantly. "I'm the Sage of Light, remember?"

Zelda narrowed her eyes. Then, she opened them wide. "I remember! You're that old guy that was really bossy and forced me to become another one of you stupid Sages!"

"Ah, _not_ the best recognition, but it'll work," Rauru said.

Zelda ignored him and hopped over onto the green platform that Saria had once stood on. "We're pretty high up, huh?" she asked, looking down at the black void below.

"Yeah, I guess we are," Rauru agreed, looking over the side. "That's the first time that occurred to me."

"Where does all that water go?" Zelda asked, gazing at the waterfalls seriously.

Rauru looked surprised. "You're right! Where _does_ it go?"

"Wow, you're pretty stupid, huh?" Zelda said, looking at him again. "You've lived here all this time, and you never even bothered to wonder?"

"Well, I was just thinking that you're stupider than me," Rauru retorted feebly. He looked back at the water. "But where does it all go?"

"Why don't you find out?" Zelda asked. "You're a Sage."

"Why don't _you_?" the old Sage replied, lifting Zelda and throwing her over the side.

Her screams echoed long after she disappeared.

"Oops. Maybe I shouldn't have done that," Rauru said thoughtfully.

Just then, Zelda fell on top of him from above.

* * *

The rescuers (and Ganondorf) were lined up outside when Aranel returned. 

"So, what did you find out?" the black dragon asked as he landed.

"That Ganondorf didn't do it," Link said.

Aranel gazed at the ruffled Gerudo King in astonishment. "He didn't?"

"I underwent _thirteen_ months of rehab, buddy," Ganondorf said. "You really think I want to go through that again?"

"I suppose not," Aranel agreed. He looked at Lute. "So who was it?"

"Rauru," Ruto said. "_I _found out!"

"Congratulations, Princess," Aranel said. "How did you achieve such a feat, pray tell?"

"I recognized his handwriting on the note."

"I see. So what are we doing?"

"We want to go to the Temple of Time and try to get into the Sacred Realm. Link has the Master Sword," Cassandra said, pointing at said hero.

Aranel nodded. "And these two?" he asked, pointing a golden claw at Falen and Quinn.

Lute glared at them. "They're coming with us."

Quinn gave Falen another one of his death stares. "If they weren't around, I'd strangle every last breath out of you," he whispered threateningly.

"Well, then, I'm very glad they're around," Falen said, rubbing his neck.

When the rescue party arrived the Temple, they had a time getting in, as such a gathering of royalty obviously attracted a lot of press attention. When they escaped into the sanctuary, they hurried over to the Door of Time, only to find it firmly shut.

"But that's not normal!" Link cried, banging on the door. "It's supposed to stay open!"

"As long as you have all the Sacred Stones in their place," came Cassandra's voice from behind them.

The men and Ruto turned to look at her. She was looking at the stone structure that held the Stones. They looked at it.

"Oh, man!" Link cried.

"We forgot about the Sapphire being missing!" Ruto cried.

Falen looked at Quinn in shock. "And _we_ know where it is," he whispered.

Quinn's eyes widened with recognition. He looked at Cassandra. "We took it," he said quietly.

"What?" the sorceress asked.

"We took the Sapphire."

Ruto sprang on him and grabbed a large bunch of his shirt. "What did you do with it?!" she shouted.

"It's still at the Desert Colossus!" Quinn cried, trying to loosen her grip.

Link managed to pull her off.

Cassandra and Lute were glaring daggers at the kidnappers.

"If I find out that you have _one_ more thing we need, I'm going to murder you both," Lute said. "You two are the whole reason I'm back in this nuthouse they call a kingdom."

"He sounds like you, Quinn!" Falen commented as they left the Temple and were mobbed again.

"Don't make me hurt you!" Quinn shouted.

* * *

A/N: Next update will be soon, I promise! I'm so sorry, again! 


	9. All's Bad That Starts Bad

Chapter Nine: All's Bad That Starts Bad

A/N: See? SEE? I updated again! Thank you to zeldaisthebest and Miss Piratess for reviewing, and Anni, are you out there? Just wondering…

* * *

"Well, that was interesting," Rauru remarked as Zelda got to her feet and helped him up.

"Yeah, it was," Zelda nodded. "But I can't understand why I came out up here, and the water just keeps falling."

Rauru nodded. "I don't get it either."

"_And _there's the fact that I had my eyes closed and was screaming my lungs out."

"True."

"Well," Zelda began, rubbing her chin, "you _could_ throw me again, and I'd watch this time."

"You'd be willing to do that?"

"Sure!" Zelda grinned.

"Okay!" Rauru made a grab for her again, but Zelda dodged and wagged a finger at him.

"First, why did you bring me here?" she asked.

"I was bored," Rauru shrugged. "I got sick of everyone neglecting me. I want some recognition. I've been here so long that I've forgotten what I look like! There aren't any mirrors here, in case you haven't noticed."

Zelda gazed at him thoughtfully. "Well, couldn't you just look in the water?" she asked.

"I guess…" Rauru mused.

"Ha! I _am_ smarter than you!" Zelda cried triumphantly.

"Oh, yeah?" Rauru grabbed her, and for the second time since she'd gotten there, chucked her over the side of the platform.

* * *

Aranel landed gently in the sand in front of the Desert Colossus, and all his little passengers slid off and ran into the temple. They were dismayed to find that the Sapphire had disappeared.

Ruto advanced menacingly at Quinn. The young man ducked behind Lute, who had a time fending off the enraged Zora.

"You – said – you – had – it!" she cried, trying to reach over the prince's shoulders to claw at Quinn.

"We _did,_ Princess!" Quinn shouted. He was terrified. An angry Zora Princess, especially one with an incredibly short temper, was something very horrifying to behold. "I don't know where it went!"

"It doesn't just _walk away_!" she shrieked.

"I know! I know!"

At that moment, Falen gasped dramatically.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to him. He was (in case you haven't noticed) the airhead of the group.

"What is it?" Ruto asked, struggling to sound calm. She wasn't succeeding.

"What if someone _stole_ it?" he asked in a stage whisper.

"Oh, for crying out loud, who would steal it?" Ganondorf asked. "I mean, who even knows that you _have_ it?"

"No one, as far as we were aware," Falen said, still whispering. "But then, how did Rauru know the Princess was here?"

"Easy. He's _Rauru_," Cassandra replied sarcastically.

"Right!" Falen said, not noticing or simply ignoring the scornful looks they were giving him. "So we have to go from realm to realm and see if anyone knows where the Sapphire is!"

"So you just expect the thief to come out and say, 'Oh, I've got the Sapphire'? Is that it?"

"Uh…yeah!"

Ganondorf smacked himself on the forehead. "You people are too stupid for words."

The six others shot him looks of complete fury.

"I mean…you're too…thoughtful…for words…" he said, waving his hands in front of him in an attempt to ward them off.

Link sighed. "Well, I guess we'll just have to do some investigating," he said, rubbing his hands together. He then whipped out his Lens of Truth. "And I'm just the man to do it!"

"How do you propose we do that?"

"It's elementary, my dear Watson."

"My dear – Who the heck is Watson?"

Link looked at him. "_I_ don't know. Who's Watson?"

"Forget it!" Ganondorf yelled. "Let's go see if the Gorons know anything about it."

There were no other suggestions, so they went ahead with the plan.

* * *

"So, did you see anything that time?" Rauru asked, pushing Zelda off of him for the second time.

"No, not really. Why?"

"Why do you think I threw you down there?"

"Because you were upset that I said I was smarter?"

"Well, there was that. But it was also to see where the water goes," Rauru said, his arms crossed.

"Oh. Actually, I just saw a lot of black," Zelda told him.

"Your eyes were closed, weren't they?" Rauru asked.

Zelda nodded.

Rauru sighed. "Okay. We're going to try this again. Can you keep your eyes open this time?"

"Sure!" Zelda grinned.

For the third time, Rauru threw her over the side.

A few seconds later, he saw a pink shape falling towards him from above. Like a flash, he moved aside – and Zelda fell on him anyway.

"Do you hold anything against me?" Rauru asked as he pulled himself out from underneath her.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," he said, waving the matter off. "So did you see where it went?"

"Actually…no."

Rauru shook his head and threw her over again.

* * *

A/N: Till next week, then! I think Rauru's having fun…Oh, and the whole Sherlock Holmes thing...I can' t _STAND_ Sherlock Holmes, so it was kind of a revenge. 


	10. Sworn Brothers

Chapter Ten: Sworn Brothers

"I'll set you down here, as I can't make my way up the mountain from here," Aranel said, landing beside the stairs that led to Kakariko Village.

"Can't you just fly us there?" asked Ruto.

"Do you really want me to be chased by a mob armed with torches and pitchforks?" Aranel grinned.

"I suppose not," Ruto said sulkily.

"All right, then. Off you go!" Aranel prompted them, shooing them off with his claws.

"'Off you go'?" asked Ganondorf as they headed up the stairs. "Does he _always_ act like a granny?"

"Don't put down the dragon," said Cassandra sternly.

Ganondorf smirked. "Of course, Your Highness."

* * *

"Why do they have to make mountains so tall!" whined Falen an hour later, as they trudged up the Death Mountain Trail.

"No one _makes_ them tall, they just _are_," Lute told him.

"It's still not fair," Falen insisted.

"And it's hot," Ruto complained. "I'm getting all dried out."

"Please be quiet!" Ganondorf begged.

"I can't! I have delicate skin!"

"I'm hot, too," grumbled Link.

"You're the Hero of Time!" Cassandra said, as annoyed as she'd been with the sniffy guard. "Deal with it!"

"I don't wanna!"

"Everyone, shut your mouths!" bellowed Quinn. "If you don't stop yapping now, I swear I'll sit down right here and not budge!"

Everyone stared at him, awestruck.

"Did you just…tell us what to do?" asked Ruto.

"Yes, I did!" Quinn said, sticking his nose up in the air.

"Oh, no you didn't," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I _so_ did."

"You didn't."

"I did. What's the big deal?"

"_No one tells me what to do_," said Ruto dangerously.

The next five minutes were spent trying to wrench the raging fish-girl off of Quinn.

* * *

"And here we are!" Link said triumphantly, sweeping his arms out wide in front of the entrance to the Goron City.

"Finally!" breathed Cassandra in relief.

"Civilization!" shrieked Falen, falling to his knees and bowing. "Thank you, Din! Thank you!"

Ganondorf shook his head and glanced pleadingly at Lute, who gave him a wretched look.

"Could you put him out of his misery?" asked Quinn. His hair had been partly ripped out of its ponytail and he looked extremely disheveled.

"How much are you willing to pay?" asked Ganondorf.

Quinn looked at him in horror. "You really _kill _people?"

"Yeah!" Ganondorf chuckled. "You thought it was a joke?"

Quinn didn't respond. He simply moved as far away from the Gerudo as was possible.

"Let's go see Darunia!" grinned Link, running into the city like a gleeful child. The others followed.

Link stood in the entrance for a few moments, looking around with a confused expression on his face.

"Uh, Link, do you know where we're supposed to go?" asked Cassandra.

"Of course I do!" Link said, dismissing her question as nonsense. He cheerfully led them through a series of stairways, and Ruto gave a piercing shriek when they entered a room filled with lava.

"Too hot!" she screeched. "It burns!"

"Let's ask for directions," suggested Lute.

"Good idea," agreed Link.

They found a Goron sitting in the stairwell.

"Oh, look! I can talk to it!" said Falen.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

"Do…you…know…where…Darunia…is?" he asked, enunciating each syllable of each word slowly, attempting to make himself completely coherent. "Can…you…tell…us…how…to…get…there?"

The Goron rolled his eyes. "Of course I can, idiot."

"See? Communication!" Falen said happily.

No one said anything, but Cassandra clapped in a slow, sarcastic manner.

"Thank you!" said Falen, bowing.

Cassandra groaned.

A few minutes later, they were standing in front of the Darunia's room.

Link pulled out his ocarina and played a cheerful, up-tempo song that had even Ganondorf tapping his foot.

The door in front of them slid upward, opening to reveal the massive form of Darunia, the leader of the Gorons.

"Link?" he asked, squinting at the hero.

"Yeah!"

"No way!" Darunia laughed. "Brother! How have you been?" He gathered Link up in a bone-crunching hug.

"Did he just say…brother?" Quinn asked Lute.

The prince nodded.

"How is that _possible_?"

"I have no idea," replied Lute.

"It's an expression of familiarity, you nitwits!" Cassandra hissed. "Don't you two know _anything _about foreign customs?"

The men exchanged looks.

"Nope," said Quinn.

"Honestly!" the sorceress cried. "And your father has you as an ambassador?" she said to Lute.

He gave her a smug grin.

She restrained from harming him.

"So," Link began once he was on the ground again, "do you know where the Zora's Sapphire is?"

"Easy," Darunia said. "In the Temple of Time."

"Wrong!"

"It was there the last time I was," the Goron said, looking confused.

"Well, it's not now." Link shot Falen and Quinn a nasty look.

"Sorry, Brother. I don't know where it is."

"Oh, well," Link sighed. "At least you tried."

"Glad I could be of some help!" Darunia grinned.

"Yeah, me too!" Link said, grinning as well.

Everyone else sighed.

As they trudged out, Ruto looked absolutely furious.

"What a waste of time!" she said. "I came all the way up here, and for what? To here a rock say, 'I don't know'!" She held out her pale blue arm, which was looking slightly shriveled. "Look at my beautiful skin!" she whined.

"This is turning out to be some adventure," Cassandra muttered.

"You can say that again," replied Lute.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to Miss Piratess, zeldaisthebest, Anonymous, and Malon Aniku. And Anonymous, if you get an account, I promise I'll read your work! 


	11. The Unexpected Plot Twist

Chapter Eleven: The Unexpected Plot Twist

A/N: Many thanks to Malon Aniku (update, woman!), zeldaisthebest, and Ganheim.

And Ganheim – I'm very glad you like it. I'm sorry I don't update too often, but that's actually only the story individually. I post a new chapter of one of my stories almost daily. I'm currently reading four books each at least 400 hundred pages long, writing seven different fanfics and poetry collections, completing a novel, doing homework all week, spending time with my family and friends, among normal living routines. If you'd like something to tide you over until I update again, (next chapter is the last, by the way), you can read the prequel to this, "Ducks and Dragons". I would most definitely read your fics, but unfortunately, I don't know anything about those fandoms. Hope you find a beta soon, as I'd really like to read that Zelda fic! Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

"Where do we go now?" asked Ruto, not nearly as whiny as she'd been before, because she had immersed herself in the Zora's River and it was now nighttime. After they'd finished with the Gorons, they had gone to the Gerudo hideout, inspected every house in Hyrule Castle Town, and even gone to see the Great Fairies. Each attempt had been unsuccessful, and each had left them less hopeful than the last.

Link rolled his eyes. "Who else is left? The Kokiri!"

"The Kokiri?" echoed Quinn incredulously. "What makes you think they have it?"

"Well, it's not like we have many other places to choose from, do we?" asked Link.

Cassandra leaned closer to Lute. "Have you noticed that throughout the time we've been on this mission, Link has gotten considerably smarter?"

Lute looked at Link thoughtfully and nodded. "I have, actually, now that you say that."

"Evolution exists! Darwin was right!" cried Cassandra.

Everyone stared at her.

"I wasn't talking to you!" she said, aggravated.

Everyone went back to what they'd been doing before.

"Shall we go, then?" asked Aranel.

"Yeah, let's get this over with," said Ganondorf, standing up and brushing his clothes off.

Ruto grudgingly pulled herself out of the water and they all climbed up on the dragon's back.

They flew off in the direction of Kokiri Forest, Link's childhood home.

* * *

"I can't fit through that tunnel," Aranel said as he touched down beside a large tree outside of the Forest Haven. "You'll have to go in there on your own."

"Ah, what do we have to be afraid of?" asked Falen. "They're a bunch of little kids."

"Well, firstly, we're outnumbered," said Link. "Secondly, you don't know what a Kokiri can do when it's angry. I've seen them ambush things…" He shivered. "I'd rather not think about it."

"No turning back now," said Quinn. They went inside.

The sight they met when they made their way to the village was a strange one, if not slightly scary. The forest children had built a gigantic bonfire, and were now dancing around it, waving axes and swords through the air, chanting and yelling in the bright moonlight.

The rescuers gazed on in silent horror.

"I didn't even know they _had_ weapons," Cassandra said finally.

"You'd be surprised," said Link.

"What are they _doing_?" asked Ruto.

"Psyching themselves up. They're getting ready to do something big," explained the hero.

"But what?"

"That, I don't know."

Just then, something hurtled out of the crowd of Kokiri and landed in Lute's arms, nearly knocking him off his feet.

It was Saria.

She looked up at him, a dazed expression on her face. Then, she seemed to recognize him. "Hello, Your Majesty! How are you?" she asked brightly.

"Uh…fine, I guess," answered the bewildered prince. Glancing at the chanting Kokiri, he had a sudden fear that his health wouldn't last long.

"I heard about your wedding," continued the green-haired girl. She turned to Cassandra. "Congrats, both of you." She winked at Lute. "You sure picked a pretty one!"

"Thanks, Saria," said Lute, interrupting her next sentence. "Can you tell us what's going on?"

"Oh, they're getting themselves ready for the revolt," she said with a shrug.

"A revolt?" asked Lute.

"They were serious!" exclaimed Ganondorf, looking half-annoyed and half-awed.

"Do you know where the Zora's Sapphire is?" Link asked Saria.

"Yeah," said the forest girl, nodding. "They've got it. I was trying to get it back from them, but then they chucked me out of the crowd, and then you caught me, and – well, here we are!"

"We need it," said Lute.

"Okay, then!" Saria led them over to the chanting crowd. The other Kokiri froze as the taller people strode up to them.

"What do you want?" demanded Mido, his voice echoing in the sudden silence. He had a very sharp-looking spear pointed at them.

"Ah, we were going to save Zelda, but then she – " Lute began, but cut off abruptly as Mido thrust the spear at him.

"Cut to the chase, princie!" shouted the Kokiri.

"We want the Sapphire," said Cassandra.

"No can do, sweetheart," Mido grinned. "It's _ours_, now!"

"What are you going to do with it?" asked Ganondorf.

"You're the reason!" yelled Mido. "Our people told us that you refused to aid us, so we took the thing you needed most!"

"But how did they know what we needed before we knew it?" asked Ruto, confused.

"That's what private investigators are for," said Mido, inspecting his fingernails.

"Who did you hire?" Lute asked.

"Note that I said 'private' investigator."

"Well, we'll be taking this now," said Quinn, pushing Mido aside and picking up the Sapphire, which was lying on the grass behind him.

The Kokiri glared at them.

_If looks could kill,_ was the thought that ran through the heads of all the rescuers.

Then, the Kokiri started to run toward them.

Ganondorf picked up four at the same time and flung them backwards. "Run, everyone! _Run_!"

They didn't waste time. Lute grabbed Cassandra's wrist and pulled her forward. The others followed suit. They began sprinting towards the entrance of Kokiri Village, the Kokiri at their heels, all brandishing flaming torches, swords, spears, axes – one even had a pitchfork. They caught Saria and pulled her back to the fire, tying her to a wooden stake.

Ruto screamed as two of them grabbed her from behind and dragged her to ground.

As Cassandra, Lute, and Link stopped to look back at her, she cried, "Go on without me!"

"Gladly!" Link called back. He grabbed Cassandra and Lute and pushed them on. "They won't kill her," he told them, seeing the Zora princess' indignant look as the Kokiri pulled her toward the fire and tied her to a stake beside Saria. The prince and his wife were not so sure he was telling the truth.

"I can't believe I've been taken hostage by munchkins," muttered Ruto irritably.

"Don't call them that!" scolded Saria in horror.

"Why not?"

Ruto's question was answered as a group of the forest children advanced upon them slowly, spears held out in front of them threateningly.

Ruto screamed.

The others didn't hear her, however, as they were all too busy screaming themselves as they ran for their very lives. Most of the Kokiri were still on their tail, and they didn't stop after they'd crossed the bridge and headed out to Hyrule Field. Aranel was startled to see the whole rescue party – excluding Ruto, of course – dashing towards him in a frenzy of terror.

"What's going on?" asked the dragon.

"No time – got Sapphire – they captured Ruto – get us out of here!" gasped out Link as they reached him. "Temple of Time!"

Aranel didn't ask questions as they scampered up his scales and he lifted into the air. The Kokiri remained on the ground, shouting war cries and waving their torches around menacingly.

"Din, I hope someone stops them," said Ganondorf, gazing down at them. "They're scarier than me!"

"If they carry out that revolt of theirs, Hyrule's as good as gone," Cassandra mused.

"Too late!" said Falen.

And indeed it was.

The Kokiri were headed toward Hyrule Castle Town, and they'd be there by morning.


	12. A Very Strange Conclusion

Chapter Twelve: A Very Strange Conclusion

A/N: Well, here's the last chapter. Do not worry, though: the sequel's coming soon! I also finished my novel! I really appreciate all the support and lovely reviews I've received, so here are some reviewer responses!

Miss Piratess: Yes, very bad. I really want to thank you for being sucha wonderful reader and reviewer, as well as an amazing writer. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

zeldaisthebest: I'm very glad you enjoyed it, and I thank you for being such a consistent reviewer throughout all this. Thanks!

Xiria: I'm glad you got an account, and I hope you start posting things soon! You're a lovely reviewer, and I thank you very much.

Ganheim: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy this one. I appreciate the attempted critique. I intend to read your story as soon as I get some free time, but I've been very busy lately. I'm doing a lot of schoolwork, as well as studying for standardized testing. I appreciate your patience. I'm glad you liked DaD, because it was fun to write, as well as my first fanfic. Happy writing, and thank you!

* * *

Aranel flew toward Hyrule Castle Town at breakneck speed. Scarily enough, the Kokiri were keeping up. The sun had begun to rise. With a sudden flash of unrestrained horror, Ganondorf grabbed Aranel's neck and screamed, "Go faster!"

"I can't!" Aranel replied, flapping his jet-black wings rapidly.

Link got an idea. "Put me down!"

"Are you _crazy_?" screeched Cassandra. "They'll kill you!"

"No, they won't! I'm the Hero of Time!"

Grudgingly, Aranel lowered Link to the ground. "We'll meet you at the Temple, all right?" he called.

"Sounds good!" Link called back confidently. He then stuck out his hand and cried, "Halt!"

The Kokiri gave no sign that they would relent, or if they'd even heard him. Probably ignoring him, they continued to run to the city. Link swallowed hard. The Kokiri continued their onward trek, their torches dimming in the sun's quickly strengthening light. They shouted raucously, more like a raging band of natives than anything else.

Link let his arms fall to his sides.

"Good luck!" called Aranel, flying off in the direction of the Temple of Time. "Remember to meet us there!"

Link mouthed a wordless plea. It went unanswered. He turned and looked at the Kokiri. He felt his heart beat faster, pounding against his chest as if trying to break free.

His breaths quickened –

His eyes widened –

His hands crept to his cheeks –

And he gave a high-pitched, earsplitting scream of complete and utter terror.

"Open the gate!" he shrieked. "Lower the drawbridge!"

"What?" asked a sleepy guard from the top of the wall, his sword gripped lazily in hand and a quiver of arrows on his back.

"Open the gate!"

"Oh, sure!" The guard hurriedly cranked the lever that lowered the drawbridge.

It landed on Link.

* * *

"Do you think Link will be all right?" asked Quinn asked, looking back in an attempt to see the hero.

"Oh, he'll be fine," Lute said, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

"But how are we going to get into the Sacred Realm if he's out there?" Cassandra asked. "We need the Master Sword, and guess what? He has it."

Aranel suddenly felt embarrassed. "I forgot about that."

"Will we go back for him?"

Aranel shook his head. "He'll make it."

"He'd better, because if this wild-goose chase doesn't end here, he won't last much longer," huffed the sorceress. "And believe me, the Kokiri won't be the ones to take him out."

Falen looked genuinely scared. "I believe it."

* * *

Link pulled himself out from the moat under the drawbridge.

"Sorry, sir!" called the guard.

"No…problem…" whimpered Link, attempting to sit up on the shore. The attempt was unsuccessful. He just flopped onto his back in front of the drawbridge.

Unfortunately, that was when the Kokiri decided to run across it – and of course, run over him, as well.

* * *

Aranel landed outside the Temple of Time, and the remaining rescuers hastily slid off his back and inside.

Quinn set the Zora's Sapphire gently onto the altar, and it rose up slightly to join the other two Spiritual Stones. The Door of Time slid up, and the group ran inside, but found themselves stumped when they remembered that the only way into the Sacred Realm was to replace the Master Sword in the Pedestal of Time. They took out the replacement sword that Daphnes had rigged up, but after that, all they could do was wait.

"I wish Link would hurry up," Lute muttered, crossing his arms and leaning against the altar.

And so they waited.

* * *

Link, on the other hand, wasn't doing too well. He was struggling to his knees, trying to crawl across the drawbridge.

"Uh…do you want help, sir?" asked the guard.

Trying very hard to keep from snarling, Link looked up at him. "You've done enough, thank you."

The guard hesitated. "Are you sure?"

Link grimaced and dropped his head. "Quite sure."

"Absolutely sure?"

Link sighed. "Leave me alone. _Please_. I don't want to hurt you."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

There was silence. Link continued to crawl along the drawbridge. The Kokiri had begun to pillage the city, flinging their torches at houses and shouting insane war cries. The Hylians didn't do much to stop them. They were used to this sort of thing happening. The Kokiri would get bored and go home soon. Or at least, they hoped they would.

Link had gotten across the drawbridge and almost made it to his feet when a familiar voice called, "Are you _sure_ you don't want help?"

Link stood up, took out his boomerang, and looked at the guard. "Sir, would you like to see my boomerang?" he asked sweetly.

The guard, who was slightly dense, said, "Sure! I mean, anything that belongs to the Hero of Time has to be – "

Link didn't find out what it had to be, because the boomerang had just nailed the side of the guard's helmet, and he slumped against the battlement, unconscious.

Link headed off through the crowd of raging Kokiri and Hylian onlookers toward the Temple of Time.

* * *

"Well, it's about time you showed up!" Cassandra cried as Link stumbled into the gigantic stone building.

"I had a little trouble getting here," he muttered, his eyes glinting with anger.

"Never mind that," she said, waving off his comments. "We need the Master Sword."

"Never mind that?" Link screeched in disbelief. "_Never mind that!_ I was just crushed by a herd of rampaging Kokiri, crushed by a drawbridge, forced to make my way through a town on the brink of destruction, then berated for being late, and you say, 'Never mind that'!" His expression looked fit to kill. He glared at her a moment longer, then sat down, crossed his arms stubbornly, and said, "I'm not moving."

"That's fine," she told him. "Just give us the sword, and you can stay here."

Link shook his head. "It won't work," he said.

She blinked. "What do you mean? As long as the sword is put in and then taken out of the Pedestal…"

"Ah, but there's one little tiny detail you've overlooked," he informed her. "_I'm _the only one who can set the sword in its place."

"Oh, come _on_!" cried Ganondorf. "Just put it in and let us go ahead!"

Link stuck his nose in the air defiantly and grabbed the hilt of the Master Sword, which was strapped to his back.

"How about we play for it?" suggested Cassandra. "Rock, paper, scissors. Best out of five hundred."

Link, always ready for a challenge, grinned. "You're on," he said.

And so, the competition began. Day turned to night, the sounds of shouting and destruction from outside ceased. Aranel stuck his head in at sunset, wondering what was taking so long. When he saw Cassandra and Link sitting there chanting and shaking their fists into different shapes, Falen contentedly keeping score, he glared pointedly at Lute.

The prince explained the predicament. When he finished, Aranel rolled his eyes, shook his head and pulled it back through the doorway.

Finally, the five hundredth game was won.

"Ha, ha! I win! So there, Hero of Time!" Cassandra crowed, jumping up and doing a jig.

"You won by _two_, woman! Two!" Link growled back.

Cassandra bent over triumphantly with her hands on her hips. "I still won. Now get up."

Grudgingly, the hero set the Master Sword in the Pedestal, then pulled it out again. There was a whirl of light, and somehow or other, they were all suddenly standing on the middle pedestal in the Sacred Realm.

They were just in time to see Rauru fling Zelda off the edge.

"NO!" they all screamed in unison.

Rauru, just noticing that they were there, waved his handless sleeves in the air. "It's not what it looks like!" he cried.

Just then, Zelda landed on top of him.

"See?" he wheezed.

"I found out about the water!" she cried happily. She was still in her nightgown, but her hair was mussed, and her clothes were slightly more dirty than they'd been the night before.

"Oh, really?" Rauru asked, turning his attention to her.

"Yep," she nodded victoriously. "See that water pouring from the ceiling?"

Rauru nodded.

"That's it," she said. "It falls, and it just keeps falling and falling and falling…" She stood up. "So we figured it out."

"What is going on here?" demanded Quinn.

"We were trying to figure out where the water goes," Zelda said, as if that was a natural thing for a person to do with their kidnapper.

"I see," Lute said. "Well, we're going to take you home now, Princess."

"I don't think so!" Rauru said angrily.

"Link!" Zelda cried happily. She opened her arms wide and ran toward him.

"Zelda!" he cried in return. When she reached him, the clasped hands and did a strange sort of dance.

"Why did you kidnap her?" asked Cassandra. Everyone was trying to ignore the dancing fiancées. It wasn't easy.

"I was bored. Everyone forgot about me, and I wanted some recognition!" he said defensively. "I was lonely."

Ganondorf looked thoughtful. "Do you have a pad and pen?" he asked.

"Sure," Rauru said, producing the items from inside his sleeves. "What do you need them for?"

"I'm going to give you some psychiatric therapy, my friend."

"Really?"

"Really."

Rauru hopped for joy. "I won't be alone anymore!"

He and Ganondorf sat down on the middle pedestal and started.

"Hey, we have to get home!" Falen protested.

"Oh, yes. Of course, of course." Rauru waved his hand, and in a matter of seconds, they were once again standing in the Temple of Time, minus Ganondorf but plus Zelda.

They made their way through the smoking ruins of Hyrule Castle Town, Aranel at their heels. By the time they got to the castle, Falen had been forced to carry Zelda, as she'd fallen asleep. ("It's your fault we went through all this, anyway," Quinn had pointed out.)

The next morning Lute and Cassandra had climbed on Aranel and were on their way home, leaving a very angry Daphnes behind.

"You do know you're getting it easy," Impa said as they prepared to leave.

"Boy, do I ever," Lute replied.

Impa sighed. "Goodbye, then. Take care of yourselves!"

"We will!" Cassandra called down as Aranel started to rise.

"At least this all finished," Lute sighed.

"Until next time," Aranel grinned.

"Don't even insinuate that!" cried Cassandra.

The dragon had to keep from shrugging. "You never know."

_Thus ends Book Two of the Alliance Trilogy._


End file.
